Are there any key trends you expect to see in 2011?RB: Whilst borrowing rates remain low, we expect the residential housing market to remain stable. The number and quality of buyers we continue to register suggest that there is a considerable appetite for large family houses across Surrey.

Tell us what excites you most about the area you work in? RB: Land and new homes add an interesting dimension to our business and we are actively involved in assessing development schemes and selling opportunities from single plots to multiple unit sites. It is both exciting and rewarding to see the development of a project from the concept stage right through to handing over the keys to an excited purchaser.

Are there bargains still to be found in Surrey? HL: Bargains are few and far between and this is often in the eye of the beholder. Many prospective buyers expect a probate sale or a vacant possession property to offer good value. However, the competition for a property like this can often force the final price up to an unexpected level.Cash is, of course, king and a cash, chain-free buyer may expect a discount where a swift transaction is required.

What is your favourite property-related anecdote?HL: I once marketed a large, empty and rambling property that was set in a frost hollow and often shrouded in a mist that lingered all day while neighbouring properties were bathed in bright sunlight.

The eeriness of the house meant it struggled to sell until one day we arranged a viewing for a spiritualist gentleman who quelled the owners fears by announcing on arrival, completely unprompted, that the house had a ghost but it was okay as he was a friendly ghost! He went on to buy the house.